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Unit 9: Characteristics and contexts in media and communication
Unit Aim: Provide students with an opportunity to develop a focused, in‐depth, understanding of the range, characteristics, complexity and contexts that define media and communication activity. It will require the student, through exploration and investigation to enter into a more formal dialogue of personal interrogation and understanding designed to confirm strengths, enthusiasms and ambitions.
What we're doing, how we're doing it and why we're doing it
What we're doing, how we're doing it and why we're doing it
Intent: You will develop your knowledge of pixel art and apply your knowledge by translating your mascot into pixel art. You will then gain hands-on experience in animating and creating a simple sprite sheet.
Implementation: Through research, analysis and development.
Impact: You will have a foundational understanding of pixel art techniques, the ability to create pixel art representations of characters and experience in producing a sprite sheet.
Soft skills: Creativity, attention to detail, problem-solving, patience, communication, adaptability.
Industry: Pixel art is a common art style in the game industry. Character design and animation are relevant skills for game development.
SMSC: Creativity, importance of attention to detail, engage in social interactions through peer reviews and explore the cultural significance of pixel art in gaming history and various game genres.
Task 1 - Context
Task 1 - Context
What is pixel art?
What are the pros?
What are the cons?
What is pixel art?
What are the pros?
What are the cons?
On your google sites:
Context questions answered in YOUR OWN WORDS. Any research supporting your argument must be appropriately linked and referenced.
Task 2 - Old and New
Task 2 - Old and New
What do I do?
Research pixel art from the 80s and some modern pixel art games. Compare them.
What do you find is common?
What makes them different.
Thinking about how to analyse design from last week:
How are these examples using/not using these design principles?
What is the context of each?
What are the characteristics?
What is common?
What is different?
On your google sites:
80s game pixel art examples
Modern game (2010s onwards) pixel art examples
Comparison, using character design terminology
Going further:
Look deeper into a pixel art game you admire. See if someone else has analysed it or if the creators have discussed their design principles
Task 3 - Pixel Art Mascot
Task 3 - Pixel Art Mascot
What do I do?
Using Aseprite translate your character into pixel art.
You must:
Use a palette from Lospec
Use a 32x32 canvas
Experiment with variations and scale
On your google sites:
Link to palette used
Development: screenshots, gifs, videos, etc
Reflection discussing design principles and characteristics of your character
Going further:
See if your character is still recognisable in different styles. Sword & Sworcery and Paul Robertson could be could styles to initially experiment with
TIPS!
Embrace the limitations, this will force you to consider the key elements of your mascot and make you a better character designer
The scale of your character will dictate the scale of your whole game. Two pixels for eyes, or eight each will make a huge difference!
Limiting your colours will help you consider cohesion and what colours work well together
Task 4 - Peer review
Task 4 - Peer review
What do I do?
Show your creations to your peers. Gather kind and constructive feedback and see what you could improve
On your google sites:
Reflection on feedback.
Further development of your pixel art informed by feedback.
Reflection:
Reflection:
- What happened?
- How did you feel?
- What were you thinking?
- How did things go?
- What might have helped?
- What might have hindered?
- What else could you have done?
- What have you learned?
- What can you change in the future?
- If the situation arose again what would you do?
- Anything you need to know or improve?
What we're doing, how we're doing it and why we're doing it
What we're doing, how we're doing it and why we're doing it
Intent: Create a sprite sheet and animate character movements.
Implementation: Through research, experimentation and practical skills.
Impact: Practical experience in creating sprite sheets and animating character movements for games. Understand the importance of timing and keyframes in creating convincing animations.
Soft skills: Creativity, attention to detail, problem-solving, patience, communication, adaptability.
Industry: Pixel art is a common art style in the game industry. Character design and animation are relevant skills for game development. Walk cycles are also considered a right of passage in some animation communities.
SMSC: Creativity, importance of attention to detail, engage in social interactions through peer reviews and explore the cultural significance of pixel art in gaming history and various game genres.
Task 1 - Context
Task 1 - Context
What is animation?
What are pros and cons of pixel art animation? Why is this useful knowledge to have?
What is animation?
What are pros and cons of pixel art animation? Why is this useful knowledge to have?
On your google sites:
Context questions answered in YOUR OWN WORDS. Any research supporting your argument must be appropriately linked and referenced.
Task 2 - Keyframes
Task 2 - Keyframes
What do I do?
Watch the video. Gain an understanding of keyframes in animation. Strong keyframes and timing is all you need for good pixel art animation! Especially if your going for a retro feel.
Find some examples of strong keyframes
Download Aseprite from my drive, unzip it and use the tutorials to get animating, you can import your files from last week
Start thumbnailing your character's walk, consider how your character will move. Walks tell us so much about someone!
On your google sites:
Explanation of keyframes
Examples
Thumbnails, you want 4 strong keyframes for your characters walk
Going further:
While your developing your keyframes have the Skullgirls GDC talk on, it's one of the best video game animation talks out there.
Task 3 - Animate
Task 3 - Animate
What do I do?
Use Aseprite. Take your favourite/best 32x32 character from previous and animate them walking.
Start with a 4 frame walk and experiment with the timing. If your keyframes are strong enough, it will look good.
Export and upload
Reflect
On your google sites:
Development: screenshots, gifs, videos, etc of your character's walk
Exported gif of your finished walk
Reflection
Going further:
Choose either -
More frames for your walk. Learn to inbetween. Where you choose to inbetween will change how the walk feels. Experiment with a 6 or 8 frame walk
or
Complete your spritesheet:
Walk
Idle
Jump
Defeat
Task 4 - Spritesheet
Task 4 - Spritesheet
What do I do?
Explain what a spritesheet is, with examples
Reflect on your work:
How do you feel about translating your mascot to pixel art?
How to you feel about creating pixel art?
How do you feel about animating?
How do you feel about doing this as a potential career?
On your google sites:
Your explanation of a spritesheet. Examples of spritesheets
Your spritesheet exported (it's ok to have a separate spritesheet for each animation)
Reflection on your work this week
Going Further
Want to develop your pixel art skills further? Excellent! There's a wealth of resources available. The best way to improve is through a combination of practice and study. Try tutorials, look at artists work you admire and try making pixel art using all manner of sprite sizes and palettes. Good luck!
Tutorials
Derek Yu's (Spelunky) has a fantastic pixel art tutorial, I've pinched some of it wholesale for this.
There's loads of tutorials on places like YouTube and twitch. Take everything taught with a pinch of salt, there's always exceptions to rules and not everyone making tutorials always has the experience or knowledge they claim but it's worth exploring and experimenting. Below are a couple I'd recommend:
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